Jet reaction propulsion apparatus for aircraft



y 3, 1952 R. H. GODDARD 2,602,610

JET REACTION PROPULSION APPARATUS FOR AIRCRAFT Filed March 22, 1947 INVENTOR.

. AT ORNEY.

Patented July 8, 1952 i :JErfREAcr i ltobertfH. Goddard," deceased, Md'.;by Esther C. Goddard,

6N. simmsios ArPAaATUs oanmcaimr late of Annapolis, executrix, Worcester. Mass.-;-a;ssignor of one-half to The Danieland Florence Guggenheim Foundation, New

I York, N. .Y., a corporation of New York Amateurs mam, 194:7', "Ser ial No. 736,440

This invention relates to propulsion apparatus of the type which utilizes the reaction from fluid jets under pressure. Such jets are commonly ejected at high-sp'eed',"and ,i t ,ismuch more efficient .to react againstalarge mass moving at relatively low speed, rather'than against a small mass moving at a very high speed; .f

. Itis found, however, that highefiiciency for jets of fluid material necessarily impliesvery high velocity. Consequently, direct reaction from such high speed jets produces only a small thrust in proportion to the amount of energy expended by the ejected material.

It is the purpose of this invention to utilize jets of high velocity and of correspondingly high emciency to produce reaction indirectly through relatively large masses of fluid material which is caused to move relatively slowly.

The invention further relates to arrangements and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

Preferred forms of the invention are shown in the drawings, in which:

Fig.'1 is a partial sectional plan view of a structure embodying this invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view, partly in section, showing the invention applied to a propelled craft, such as a boat or torpedo;

Fig. 3 is a partial sectional elevation showing the invention applied to aircraft; and

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but showing a modified construction.

Referring to Fig. 1, a casing ll! of a structure to be propelled is shown as provided with a reaction tube T of relatively large cross section and having a curved reaction portion l2 and a straight rearward discharge portion IA. The

tube T is freely open through the casing W at its straight intake end portion l5, and air or water may freely enter the tube through said open intake end portion.

One or more nozzles 20 are supported in the intake end portion I5 and are connected by a pipe 2| to a chamber 22 which may contain any suitable fluid under high pressure, such as comram... (01. 244- 74 pressed'air, combustion gases, steam or '-'a bustible fluid mixture. -F1ow through the pipe 2| iscontrolled bya valve 24. 1 r

When this valve is' opened, the compressed fluid from the tank or'chamber' 22 is ejected at high speed from the nozzles 20, as indicated by the arrows a, and" immediately encounters the large mass of air' or water drawn in through the open intake end portion I5 of the tube T. The energy of the high velocity jets is transferred to the large mass of slow moving fluid in the tube 'T' and imparts thereto a moderate and substantially uniform velocity. As' this large and relatively slower moving-mass of fluid reaches the curved reaction portion" l 2 of the tube T, reaction takesplace' underimost' favorable conditions and a very much larger proportion'of the jet'energy is utilized for reaction and propulsion than could be produced by' th'ejets directly; I I I If a combustible mixture is used, with air as the reactive fluid, the mixture may be burned at the nozzles 20 to increase the jet energy by combustion gas expansion.

In Fig. 2, the invention is shown embodied in a craft C, such as a boat or torpedo, in which two intake tubes 30 and 3| are provided, one at each side of the craft and each having a pair of associated nozzles 33 connected to a pressure tank or combustion chamber 34. The tubes 30 and 3| extend oppositely across the craft but in different planes, and each tube discharges the slowermoving mass of indrawn fluid through an opening in the side of the rear portion of the craft.

This construction permits a relatively long and opposite sides of the craft.

A quite similar construction is shown in Fig. 4, but in which, however, the tubes 40 and 4| are in fluid is discharged axially rearward from the craft C.

In Fig. 3, the invention is shown as applied to an aircraft. A wing 50 is made hollow for any desired portion of its length and is provided with an intake portion 5|, a curved reaction portion 52, and a rearward discharge portion 53. Nozzles are mounted forward of the reaction portion thus provided in the hollow wing, and air. steam or gas at high pressure is delivered to the nozzles 55 from a storage tank through a control valve 6|. The tank 60 extends lengthwise of the wing and may be provided with succom-' lifting forces.

cessive pairs of nozzles 55 at any desired spacing along the wing.

The high velocity jets from the nozzles 55 deliver their energy to a large massof air entering through the intake portions 51, and this large mass of relatively slower moving air reacts against the curved portion 52 under very favorable conditions, and provides both forward and A propulsion wing as above described Will be provided at each side of the craft, to balance the reaction forces. a j

The construction shown in Fig, 3 may be streamlined by providing a shield -62, which re-, duces air resistance and also stifle'ns'the wing construction.

vides means by which high energy, high velocity jets may be caused to operate efficiently by transferring their excessive energy to relatively slower moving but much larger masses of gaseous or liquid reaction material.

7 Having thus described the invention and the advantages thereof, it will be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwisethan as set forth in the-claim, but what is claimed is: s

In combination with an aircraft body, re-,

action propulsion apparatus comprising two relatively large'and substantially straight open intake passage portions oppositely disposed insaid aircraft body and directed inward at opposite sides of said body, a separate curved insociated intake, reaction and discharge passage portions constituting a single continuous passage, the axis of which is disposed in a single plane, and the two single, planes of the two continuous passagesfbeing superposed adjacent and parallel, with each discharge passage portion opening at the opposite side of said aircraft body from its associated intake passage portion for balanced reactions'at opposite sides of the body,

and means to inject high velocity fluid jets into said intake passage portions Well in advance of 'f'the intermediate reaction portions, which jets a are directed inward toward said curved interl5 Having thus described several forms of this in- 'vention, it will be apparent that'eachform pro mediate reactionjpassage portions and accelerate the 'air mass approaching said curved intake passage portions for the increase of forward "thrust activity.

termediate reaction-passage portion for;each1intake; passage portion and crossing said body from side toside at the longitudinal axis thereof, a separate and substantially straight rearward discharge passage portion for each separate curved reaction passage portion, each set of a's- Q ESTHER C. GODDARD, Executrz'x of the'Last Will and Testament of Robert H. Goddard, Deceased.

it REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record, in the file of this patent: V

' V UNITED STATES PATENTS: t

Number v 316,773 Italy Nov. 12, 1932 

